"Hmm, well, this is my cutest little daughter. Did little Lu Bei feel his heart skip a beat when he saw her?"
Zhao Yarong gently swung her silk-clad legs beneath the table, asking with a pleased expression.
"She looks like she won't be too rowdy. She should be able to settle down and study."
Lu Bei calmly gave the kind of reassuring answer that parents like to hear.
Hearing these somewhat unexpected words, a few smiles quickly blossomed on Zhao Yarong's face.
Just as the atmosphere among them was quite pleasant, the sound of slightly hurried footsteps came from outside.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Accompanied by a crisp voice, the girl outside pushed open the ajar door.
Xu Qingshuang, the other candidate, had arrived right at this moment.
The hem of her clothes was somewhat wrinkled, and her hair was a bit messy.
It was obvious she had overslept her afternoon nap and rushed over in a panic, without even having time to tidy herself up.
Upon noticing Lu Bei, her expression froze in surprise.
"Lu Bei, you're here interviewing for this too?""Mm."
Xu Qingshuang's expression showed a trace of surprise.
Yet a moment later, she suddenly remembered that she was currently giving Lu Bei the silent treatment.
So she immediately turned her head away with a displeasure expression, leaving only her pretty ponytail facing him.
Seeing this, Lu Bei did not feel surprised at all.
In his previous life, because he had not blocked Xu Qingshuang.
During the rest of the morning's conversation, he naturally would have learned that his childhood sweetheart had come here to apply for the job.
And what happened next went without saying.
Back then, acting like a devoted yes-man, he had no intention whatsoever of competing with her.
So he had very naturally chosen to back down.
In that past life, he had not even met Xiao Wanning and her family.
Yet even so, this childhood sweetheart of his still had not secured the job.And she hadn't managed to "flatter" this fellow either.
"You two know each other?"
Zhao Yarong smiled brightly as she brewed another cup of tea and placed it on the table. She had known Lu Bei because of their high school days, but she wasn't very familiar with the specific details of his social circle.
Therefore... this lady very unfortunately made a rather poor opening remark.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't like Lu Bei at all. He and I are just ordinary childhood friends. If he says anything that might cause a misunderstanding, please don't believe him, Auntie."
"Just ordinary classmates."
Xu Qingshuang and Lu Bei spoke at the exact same time.
Two completely different answers came out of their mouths, leaving all three women present momentarily stunned.
"Blockhead Lu, what do you mean by that?"
Xu Qingshuang was the first to react, angrily rubbing her hands against the table. She glared at Lu Bei, her cheeks puffed out, looking as though she had suffered the greatest grievances.
When what she had just said was combined with what Lu Bei had said, no matter how one looked at it, it turned into something that ruined her image and made her lose face.
"Aren't we just ordinary classmates?"
Lu Bei didn't even turn his head to look at Xu Qingshuang, and his expression didn't change much after giving that reply.
Seeing this, Xu Qingshuang was so irritated her teeth felt itchy.
"Is that so? The relationships among young people nowadays sure are..."
Zhao Yarong tried to smooth things over with a hint of awkwardness. However... the way she looked at Xu Qingshuang carried a strange new glint.
Why was this girl acting so full of herself? Did Lu Bei ever say he liked you? What on earth are you freaking out for!
It was just that in this day and age, platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu didn't exist yet.Otherwise, Zhao Yarong would surely think of Xu Qingshuang as one of those internet princesses who constantly use those two apps and throw around slang like "Family, who gets this?"
"Mom, I want Lu... well, I want to get the highest possible score on the national college entrance exam, so I want a tutor with better grades."
Xiao Wanting tugged at Zhao Yarong's sleeve with a hint of anxiety.
Out of the corner of her eye, she secretly sized up Lu Bei and Xu Qingshuang standing beside him.
Unlike Zhao Yarong, who only knew about Lu Bei through rumors, Xiao Wanting was actually well aware of the messy history between Lu Bei and Xu Qingshuang.
Consequently, she held no affection for Xu Qingshuang, a woman who only ever knew how to take.
*Sigh, Senior... he's so pathetic. He treated her so well, yet never got anything in return.*
*The childhood sweetheart he ended up with just doesn't know how to cherish him at all.*
*If I had an amazing childhood sweetheart like Senior Lu Bei, I definitely wouldn't let him make all the sacrifices on his own.*
*Whenever I baked pastries, I'd make sure to feed them right to him.*
*Even... even if Mom cut my allowance, I'd secretly save it up.*
*And then, on Senior Lu Bei's birthday, I'd buy him the newest graphics card for his computer.*
*Ugh, why is this woman Xu Qingshuang talking to Senior Lu Bei again?*
*Damn it, she already rejected Senior Lu Bei, so why won't she just leave him alone?*
*I really hate this woman. I want to... kill her.*
"Hey, blockhead Lu, how about you just drop out? I really need this part-time job."
After calming herself down a little, Xu Qingshuang whispered to Lu Bei.
"If worst comes to worst, I'll allow you to carry my shopping bags when I go out tomorrow, okay? That's a huge concession on my part."
"I need it too."
Lu Bei refused without the slightest hesitation.
His tone left zero room for negotiation.
"As for your offer to let me tag along while you shop, I have no interest in that either."
Hearing this, Xu Qingshuang turned her head away in a huff.
In her memories, Lu Bei had always been completely obedient—he would agree to whatever she asked and would always coax her.
So, after being rejected like this, Xu Qingshuang suddenly felt an unfamiliar wave of discomfort for reasons unknown.
What on earth had changed Lu Bei?
Xu Qingshuang could not figure it out no matter how hard she tried.
At that moment, her gaze drifted away instinctively, and she happened to catch a glimpse of the little girl who was also applying for the tutoring position.
Noticing that the girl was secretly staring at Lu Bei with burning eyes, Xu Qingshuang instantly and unreasonably redirected her anger toward her.
In Xu Qingshuang's mind, it was simply impossible for Lu Bei to grow distant from her on his own accord.
Therefore, for things to turn out like this, someone must have been instigating him behind the scenes.
And the primary culprit was clearly right in front of her.
With this thought in mind, Xu Qingshuang gave Xiao Wanting a thorough once-over.
*Big deal, so she's a little pretty and a little cute.*
*Is that why Lu Bei is refusing to back down and competing with her?*
"Well, since you're both here to apply as tutors for my daughter..."
"As an auntie, I should bring up a practical issue. Naturally, as a mother, I want the most qualified person to tutor my daughter."
Zhao Yarong coughed softly, her eyes rolling as a cunning smile spread across her face.
Then, she looked directly at the two people before her and said earnestly.
"So, tell Auntie, what were your respective scores on the college entrance exam?"